Title: PHILIPPINE HISTORY Pre-Colonial Period
1PHILIPPINE HISTORYPre-Colonial Period
- Arts Letters
- University of Santo Tomas
- Manila
- Prepared by
- Mr. Ernie Ronel T. Mabahague
2Pre-Colonial Philippines
- Society
- Mode of Dressing
- Ornaments
- Houses
- Social Classes
- Status of Women
- Marriage customs
- Mixed Marriages, Inheritance and Succession
3Pre-Colonial Philippines
- Politics
- Government
- Laws
- Legislation
- Judicial Process
- Trial by Ordeal
- C. Religion
- Religious Beliefs
- Burial
- Divination and Magic Charms
4Pre-Colonial Philippines
- E. Culture
- Languages
- System of Writing
- Literature
- Music and Dance
- Art
- D. Economic Life
- Agriculture
- Livestock
- Fishing
- Mining
- Lumbering and Shipbuilding
- Weaving
- Trade
5- Long before the Spaniards came to the
Philippines, Filipinos had a civilization of
their own. This civilization partly came from
the Malay settlers and partly from their response
to the new environment. Many of these customs
and traditions, government and way of life, have
come down to the present day, despite the changes
brought about by westernization and
modernization. This is why it is possible to
know about our distant past by simply observing
some customs and practices that have resisted
change and modernization.
6Society
- Philippine pre-colonial society is both different
and the same as in the present. Some aspects of
the pre-colonial period have survived into our
time. The following is a description of the way
of life of pre-colonial Filipinos.
7Mode of Dressing
- male attire was composed of the kanggan
(sleeveless jacket) and bahag (loincloth) - the color of the kanggan indicates rank red for
the chief, black or blue for the commoners - men also wear a turban called putong, which also
tell the social status/achievement of the
individual wearing it - female attire consisted of baro or camisa (jacket
with sleeves) and saya or patadyong (a long
skirt) some women wore a piece of red or white
cloth on top of their skirt called tapis
Bogobo man woman
Kalinga subuanon women
8putong
Bogobo man
9Ornaments
- men and women wore ornaments to look attractive
- both wear kalumbiga, pendants, bracelets, and
leglets - these ornaments were made of gold
- some wore gold fillings between the teeth
- tattoos were also fashionable for some
pre-colonial Filipinos they also exhibit a mans
war record - Islas del Pintados term coined by the Spaniards
for the Visayans
10Bontoc men
11Houses
- built to suit the tropical climate
- called bahay kubo, made of wood, bamboo, and nipa
palm it was built on stilts and can be entered
through ladders that can be drawn up - some Filipinos, such as the Kalingas, Mandayas
and Bagobos built their houses on treetops - others, such as the Badjaos, built their houses
on boats
12Social Classes
- the society was made up of three classes nobles
(made up of the datu and their families),
mahadlika or maharlika (freemen) and the alipin
(dependents) - members of the nobility were addressed with the
title Gat or Lakan among the Tagalogs
13- alipin or dependents acquired their status by
inheritance, captivity, purchase, failure to
settle debts, or by committing a crime - there were two kinds of dependents aliping
namamahay and aliping sagigilid - in the Visayas,
- dependents
- were of three
- kinds tumataban,
- tumarampok, and
- the ayuey
Maguindanao Sultan, nobles Alipins
14Status of Women
- women in pre-colonial Philippine society had the
right to inherit property, engage in trade and
industry, and succeed to the chieftainship of the
barangay in the absence of a male heir - had the exclusive right to name their children
- men walked behind them as a sign of respect
15Marriage customs
- men were in general, monogamous while their
wives are called asawa, while concubines are
called friends - in order to win the hand of his lady, the man has
to show his patience and dedication to both the
lady and her parents - courtship usually begins with paninilbihan
- if the man wins the trust of the parents, he does
not immediately marry the woman, but he has to
satisfy several conditions - - give a dowry or bigay-kaya
- - pay the panghihimuyat
- - pay the wet nurse bigay-suso
- - pay the parents himaraw
- - bribe for the relatives called sambon
(among the Zambals)
16- once he had settled all of the above
requirements, he brings his parents to meet with
the bride-to-bes parents to haggle and make the
final arrangements this is called pamamalae or
pamamanhikan or pamumulungan - the wedding ceremonies vary depending on the
status of the couple but normally, those from
the upper class, a go-between was employed - weddings are officiated by the priestess or
babaylan - uncooked rice is thrown on the couple after the
wedding ceremony
17babaylan
Go to Religious Beliefs
18Marriage ceremony - eating rice
Tausog wedding ceremony
19- Muslim Filipinos have similar marriage customs
the first stage was called pananalanguni or
bethrothal it was followed by the consultation
with the girls parents, who relays their
decision to the village chief, who in turn
informed the suitors parents of the decision - dowry was also settled by the chief (pedsungud).
This was of seven kinds 1. kawasateg, money
given to the brides close relatives 2. siwaka,
brassware given to those who helped arrange the
wedding 3. enduatuan, brassware or animals for
the village chief 4. pangatulian, jewelry given
to the brides mother and aunts 5. tatas, blade
given to the girls uncle 6. langkad, money
given to the girls parents as fine for having
bypassed the girls elder sister if she had any
and 7. lekat, amount of money given to the girls
attendant.
20- once everything is settled, the pegkawing, or the
wedding ceremony follows - the wedding ceremony is officiated by the hadji
- six days of festivities followed, and only on the
seventh day could the couple sleep together
Muslim wedding
21Mixed Marriages, Inheritance and Succession
- mixed marriages were allowed in pre-colonial
society - the status of children were dependent upon the
status of the parents - often, the status of children in mixed marriages
is divided evenly between the parents - single children of mixed marriage were half-free
and half-dependent - legitimate children inherited their parents
property even without any written will and was
divided equally among the children
22- natural children inherited only a third of the
inheritance of legitimate children - children of dependent mothers are given freedom
and a few things - nearest relatives inherit the property of
childless couples - in succession, the first son of the barangay
chieftain inherits his fathers position if the
first son dies, the second son succeeds their
father in the absence of male heirs, it is the
eldest daughter that becomes the chieftain
23Politics
24Government
- unit of government was the barangay, which
consisted of from 30 to 100 families. The term
came from the Malay word balangay, meaning boat - barangays were headed by chieftains called datu
- the subjects served their chieftain during wars,
voyages, planting and harvest, and when his house
needs to be built or repaired they also paid
tributes called buwis
25balangay
26- the chief or datu was the chief executive, the
legislator, and the judge he was also the
supreme commander in times of war - alliances among barangays were common and these
were formalized in a ritual called sangduguan - conflicts between or
- among barangays
- were settled by
- violence those who
- win by force is
- always right
27Laws
- were either customary (handed down from
generation to generation orally) or written
(promulgated from time to time as necessity
arose) - dealt with various subjects such as inheritance,
property rights, divorce, usury, family
relations, divorce, adoption, loans, etc. - those found guilty of crimes were punished either
by fine or by death some punishments can be
considered as torture by modern standards - however, it must be noted that ancients did not
believe in endangering society by letting loose a
gang of thieves of recidivists who are incapable
of reform
28Legislation
- before laws are made, the chief consults with a
council of elders who approved of his plan - they are not immediately enforced until the new
legislation is announced to the village by the
umalohokan, who also explains the law to everyone
29Judicial Process
- disputes between individuals were settled by a
court made up of the village chief and the
council of elders between barangays, a board
made up of elders from neutral barangays acted as
arbiter - the accused and the accuser faced each other in
front of the court with their respective
witnesses - both took an oath to tell the truth most of the
time, the one who presents the most witnesses
wins the case - if the losing party contests the decision, he is
bound to lose in the end because the chief always
take the side of the winner
30Trial by Ordeal
- to determine the innocence of an accused, he is
made to go through a number of ordeals which he
must pass - examples include dipping ones hand in boiling
water, holding a lighted candle that must not be
extinguished, plunging into a river and staying
underwater for as long as possible, chewing
uncooked rice and spitting, etc. - among the Ifugaos, ordeal by combat was common,
i.e. bultong (wrestling), alaw (duel)
31bultong
32Religion
33Religious Beliefs
- pre-colonial Filipinos believed in the
immortality of the soul and in life after death - they also believed in the existence of a number
of gods whom they worship and made offerings to
according to rank - i.e. Bathalang Maykapal (Creator), Idinayale (god
of agriculture), Sidapa (god of death), Balangaw
(rainbow god), Mandarangan (war god), Agni (fire
god) Lalahon (goddess of harvest), Siginarugan
(god of hell), Diyan Masalanta (goddess of love),
etc.
34Agni (India)
Bathala
35- also showed respect for animals and plants like
the crocodile, crow, tigmamanukin some trees
were not also cut because they were thought to be
divine - diseases were thought to be caused by the temper
of the environmental spirits - Filipinos also venerated the dead by keeping
alive their memory by carving idols of stone,
gold or ivory called likha or larawan food, wine
and other things were also shared with the dead
36- adored idols called anitos or diwatas to whom
they made offerings - some anitos were considered bad however, they
made offerings to them too in order to appease
them or placate their anger - priestesses such as the babaylan/ baylana or
katalona acted as mediums to communicate with
these spirits
37Burial
- the dead was placed in a wooden coffin and buried
under the house complete with cloth, gold and
other valuable things - upon the death of the person, fires were made
under the house and armed men acted as sentinels
to guard the corpse from sorcerers - professional mourners were hired to accentuate
the depth of mourning
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39- sometimes, the relatives of the dead wore rattan
bands around their arms, legs and necks and they
abstained from eating meat and drinking wine - the ancients distinguished mourning for a woman
from that of a man morotal (for women) and
maglahi (for men) - mourning for a dead chief is called laraw, and
this was accompanied by certain prohibitions like
engaging in petty quarrels, wars, carrying
daggers with hilts in the normal position,
singing in boats coming from the sea or river,
and wearing loud clothes
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41- some ancients fasted and limited their nutrition
to vegetables among the Tagalogs, this is called
sipa - relatives of the dead who was murdered would not
end their mourning until they have exacted
vengeance or balata - the celebration held on the ninth night after the
death of the person is called pasiyam, in which a
play called tibaw is staged to honor the dead
42Divination and Magic Charms
- ancient Filipinos are quite superstitious and put
much stock into auguries, and magic charms - they interpreted signs in nature like the flight
of birds, the barking of dogs, the singing of
lizards, and the like, as good or bad omens
depending on the circumstances - they also consulted with the pangatauhan, or
soothsayers, to tell their fortunes
43- there was also a belief in the existence of the
aswang, mangkukulam, manggagaway, tiyanak, and
the tikbalang - amulets and charms were also used by the ancients
like the anting-anting, gayuma, odom or
tagabulag, wiga or sagabe, and tagahupa - these beliefs were not eradicated with the coming
of Western civilization and most of them were
practiced behind the backs of the Christian
missionaries - the result was a blending of pagan and Christian
beliefs that made Filipino Catholicism unique
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45Economic Life
46Agriculture
- main source of livelihood
- rice, coconuts, sugar cane, cotton, hemp,
bananas, oranges, and many species of fruits and
vegetables were grown - done in two ways kaingin system (slash and
burn) and tillage - when the Spaniards came to the Philippines, they
noted that Cebu and Palawan were abundant in many
agricultural foodstuffs
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49- agricultural productivity was enhanced by use of
irrigation ditches like those found in the Ifugao
Rice Terraces - landholding was either public (less arable land
that could be tilled freely by anyone) and
private (rich and cultivated lands belonging to
nobles and datus) - some rented land and paid in gold or in kind
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51Livestock
- the daily fare consisted of rice and boiled fish,
or sometimes pork or venison, carabao or wild
buffalo meat - fermented the sap of palm trees and drank it as
liquor called tuba
- Pre-colonial Filipinos raised chickens, pigs,
goats, carabaos, and small native ponies
52Fishing
- was a thriving industry for those who live in the
coast or near rivers and lakes - various tools for fishing such as nets, bow and
arrow, spear, wicker basket, hooks and lines,
corrals and fish poisons were used - pearls fisheries also abound in Sulu
53Fishing with bow arrow
Mining
- comparatively developed before the coming of the
Spaniards - the ancients mined gold in many parts of the
archipelago and were traded throughout the
country and with other countries
54Lumbering and Shipbuilding
- were flourishing industries
- Filipinos were said to be proficient in building
ocean-going vessels - all kinds of boats or ships were built, which the
Spaniards later call banca, balangay, lapis,
caracoa, virey, vinta and prau
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56Weaving
- home industry
- that was
- dominated
- by women
- using crude
- wooden looms,
- textiles such as
- sinamay from hemp, medrinaque from banana,
cotton, linen, and silk, were woven
57Trade
- was conducted between or among barangays, or even
among the islands - there was trade too with other countries such as
China, Siam, Japan, Cambodia, Borneo, Sumatra,
Java, and other islands of old Malaysia - did not use any currency but conducted trade
through barter - sometimes, goods were priced in terms of gold or
metal gongs - Chinese traders noted that Filipinos were very
honest in their commercial transactions
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59Culture
- Philippine pre-colonial culture was basically
Malayan in structure and form. They had written
language which was used not just for
communication but also for literary expression.
They also had music and dances for almost all
occasions and a wide variety of musical
instruments that shows their ingenuity.
60Languages
- there are more than one hundred languages in the
Philippines, eight of which are considered major
languages. They are Tagalog, Iloko, Pangasinan,
Pampangan, Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon, Samarnon or
Samar-Leyte, and Magindanao
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62- these languages are descended from Austronesian
or Malayo-Polynesian language - the differences might be accounted for the need
to forming new words and phrases to fit the new
environment - many of the words or terms in Filipino languages
were derived from Malayan
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64System of Writing
- before the arrival of the Spaniards, Filipinos
used a syllabary which was probably of Sanskrit
or Arabic provenance - the syllabary consisted of seventeen symbols, of
which three were vowels and fourteen consonants - no one is certain about the direction of writing
- Fr. Pedro Chirinos theory is that the ancients
wrote from top to bottom and from left to right
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66- pre-colonial Filipinos wrote on bark of trees, on
leaves and bamboo tubes, using their knives and
daggers, pointed sticks or iron as pens and the
colored saps of trees as ink - only a few of this writings survive into the
present because early Spanish missionaries
destroyed many manuscripts on the ground that
they are the work of the Devil himself - some pieces of literature, however, have been
handed down to us orally
67Laguna Copperplate InscriptionBy Hector
Santoshttp//isanghamahal.blogspot.com/2006_03_01
_archive.html Antoon Postma, a Dutch national who
has lived most of his life among the Mangyans in
the Philippines and the director of the Mangyan
Assistance Research Center in Panaytayan,
Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, was able to translate
the writing. His effort is all the more
remarkable when you consider that the text was in
a language similar to four languages (Sanskrit,
Old Tagalog, Old Javanese, and Old Malay) mixed
together The text was written in Kavi, a
mysterious script which does not look like the
ancient Tagalog script known as baybayin or
alibata. Neither does it look similar to other
Philippine scripts still used today by isolated
ethnic minorities like the Hanunóos and the
Buhids of Mindoro, and the Tagbanwas of Palawan.
It is the first artifact of pre-Hispanic origin
found in the Philippines that had writing on
copper material Postma's translation provides a
lot of exciting surprises. Like most other
copperplate documents, it gives a very precise
date from the Sanskrit calendar which corresponds
to 900 A.D. in our system. It contains placenames
that still exist around the Manila area today. It
also lists the names of the chiefs of the places
mentioned. The placenames mentioned prove the
Philippine connection of the LCI. The names are
still recognizable today although almost eleven
centuries have passed since the document was
issued. The placenames are Pailah (Paila), Tundun
(Tundo), Puliran (Pulilan), Binwangan
(Binwangan), Dewata (Diwata), and Medang
(Medang)
68Laguna copperplate inscription
69Literature
- pre-colonial literature may be classified into
floating or oral and written literature - Tagalogs have the bugtong (riddle), suliranin and
indulanin (street songs), sabi (maxim), sawikain
(saying), talindaw (boat songs), diyuna (song of
revelry), kumintang (war song which evolved into
a love song), dalit and umbay (dirge), tagumpay,
balikungkong, dupayinin and hiliraw (war songs),
uyayi and hele (lullabies), ihiman (bridal song),
tagulaylay (mournful song), tigpasin (rowing
song), tingad (household song), and kutang-kutang
(couplets usually chanted by the blind)
70- songs, dance and the drama probably developed
simultaneously - most of the pre-colonial drama was held in the
sambahan or places of worship - these dealt with various subjects including love,
war, legends, the memory of the deceased, and war
heroes
71- dramas developed into different forms such as the
pagbati, karagatan, tagayan, pananapatan,
sabalan, and tibaw - the karagatan was a debate in verse in which a
problem is resolved it developed into the duplo
during the Spanish period and then into the
balagtasan in 1924 during the American period - tibaw on the other hand is perform during the
pasiyam
72- Maranaw literature, inspired by Islam, consisted
of tutul (folk tale), tubad-tubad (short love
poems), pananaro-on (sayings and proverbs),
sowa-sowa-i (drama), antoka (riddle or puzzle),
and darangan (epic poetry) - Ilocano literature, for its part, has many kinds
of songs sung on different occasions this
include dal-ot (song during baptismal party,
wedding, or a feast), badeng (love song sung in a
serenade), and dung-aw (dirge)
73- Filipinos were fond of composing epic poetry,
which is why the country is unique for having
more than twenty epic poems. Examples of this
are Hudhud and Alim (Ifugao), Biag ni Lam-Ang
(The Life of Lam-Ang / Ilocano), Bantugan,
Indarapatra at Sulayman, and - Bidasari
- (Moslems)
Igorots reciting Hudhud
74Princess Lanawen to be won by Prince Bantugan
Princess Bidasari story is like Snow Whites
Indarapata Sulayman
75Music and Dance
- Filipinos are naturally fond of both music and
dance, and usually, whenever music is played, it
is accompanied by dance
76- some examples of pre-colonial musical instruments
include kudyapi (Tagalog), bansic or a cane with
four holes and gangsa or a small guitar (Negritos
of Luzon), abafii a Malay music instrument
(Igorots), gongs, Jews harp, bamboo flute,
kutibeng or a guitar - with five strings (Ilocano),
- kalaleng or a nose flute
- and diwdiw-as or pan
- pipe made of seven
- bamboos reeds
- (Tinguians)
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78- examples of the native dances, which depict
different events include Potato Dance, Torture
Dance, Duel Dance, Lovers Dance (Negritos)
macasla dance (Tagbanua), kinnotan or ants dance
and the kinnallogong or hat dance (Ilocano)
balitaw and dandansoy (Visayan) balatong, dalit,
hiliraw, kutang-kutang, lulay, indulanin,
kumintang, salampati, tagulaylay, subli,
barimbaw, and tagayan (Tagalog)
79- this shows that Filipinos have songs and dances
for almost all occasions and because of their
frequent association, their social organization
was more well-knit than it is today
80Art
- first glimpse can be seen in primitive tools and
weapons that were polished along the lines of
leaves and petals of flowers - can also be seen in beads, amulets, bracelets,
and other ornaments made of jade, red cornelian,
and other stones - dyed and ornamented their barkcloth with designs
of attractive colors
81- in the Iron Age, aside from armlets, bracelets,
rings, and headbands, tattoos also became
fashionable metals and glass also came into use
weaving became a preoccupation for women weapons
were manufactured with designs on their handles
pottery with incised designs were made and
carvings made of wood, bone, ivory or horn were
also done not only for the use of the living but
also of the dead
82Sarimanok
utensils
gangsa
83- the zigszag designs on ancient lime tubes and the
ornamental carvings on combs reflect Negrito
influence - Indonesian influence can be seen in the apparel
of the Kalingas, Maranaos, Manobos and Bagobos - Malay influence can be traced to the wood
carvings found in utensils, boats, and wooden
shields of the people of Sulu, Mindanao and
Mountain Province
84Igorot shields
85- Islamic influence can be gleaned from the
ornamental and decorative art of the Lanao
Muslims most represent geometric and plant
designs because Islam is iconoclastic - Ifugao art deals with human and animal
representations but not fish and plant forms
Ifugao art is functional
86Igorot bamboo art
87Sources
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- aenet.org
- elaput.org
- filipiniana.net
- veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov
- phivolcs.dost.gov.ph
- kheper.net
- msuiit.edu.ph
- seasite.niu.edu
- philippines.hvu.nl
- kabayancentral.com
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- malignosrealm.netfirms.com
- sinemamalaysia.com.my
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